


Outed in the city

by genrerebel



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Family, M/M, Timeline What Timeline, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25387636
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/genrerebel/pseuds/genrerebel
Summary: Steve finally figures out how to be brave enough to tell Thor how he feels.  He does it in public though, and gets outed.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Thor
Comments: 8
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [City Trip [!Moodboard]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/21779050) by [DarthBloodOrange (DepressingGreenie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressingGreenie/pseuds/DarthBloodOrange). 



Steve stood at the edge of the tower’s deck. Surveying Manhattan always left him feeling out of sorts and he was starting to think that maybe living in the tower wasn't the best idea after all. It had been over a year and he still didn’t feel at ease in this new century, he wondered if he ever would. He had made friends, the team gave him that at least. They wouldn’t ever feel the same as the commandos did, but that was all right. He liked Clint’s special brand of humor, Nat’s aloofness, Bruce’s quiet demeanor that belied his genius. He’d even gotten to the point where Tony didn’t piss him off as much. The inventor’s attitude would never be Steve’s cup of tea, but he could appreciate him for his generous heart and his desire to be better. 

Then there was Thor. He, like Steve, was out of place here in this tower. The reasons of course were laughably different. Steve had slept for almost 70 years and Thor was, well, he was considered a god. After all that he’d seen Steve wasn’t sure that he believed in God anymore. He’d been raised Catholic, his Irish ma had seen to that, but now, in the future, Steve wasn’t sure he could reconcile that belief. And again, there was Thor. Alive long enough that there were myths about him, religions based on him. It added to Steve’s religious confusion. 

Speaking of the man, he dropped out of the sky right at Steve’s side. A woosh of wind following behind. He gingerly placed Mjolnir on the table Steve’s empty coffee cup sat and grabbed Steve's forearm in his customary welcome. 

“Friend Steven, how are you this morning?” 

“Just fine, Thor. You? How was New Mexico?” He knew that the other man had been to vist Jane. Their relationship was still up in the air, and Steve could only hope that they'd been able to settle that. He had reasons for that hope, reasons he still hadn't put voice to. 

“New Mexico was fair as always. Hot. I was able to speak with Jane in between her science.” He dug his fingers through his tangled hair to pull it back into a low ponytail. Steve saw it for what it was, a stalling technique. Perhaps their talk did not go so well. “The Lady Jane and I have decided that our affection is not enough to sustain a real connection. So that is, as you say, that.” 

“Aw, buddy. Sorry to hear that. She is a special lady for sure.” 

“Aye she is. But it is true that an attraction is not enough. Especially since there is so much, uh, what is the word? Um, disparity, between us. Also, she has been offered what she believes is the best opportunity to study in a place called Switzerland?” 

“Oh, Tony and Bruce were talking about it the other morning? CERN? I think? I’m glad for her then. Sorry for you, though.” Thor dropped one of his large hands on Steve’s shoulder. It took a lot to not buckle under the weight. 

“Again, I thank you. But this is not the first time in my life I have not been able to make a connection work. And truthfully, humans live a short amount of time, so our love would be fleeting.” 

Steve drew up short at that. It is true that Thor would outlive all of them. Or, well, Steve had overheard Bruce talking to himself a few weeks back and the implications for Steve were a bit scary. He’d known of course that Bruce and Tony were trying to figure out why the serum worked on Steve and not Bruce, he’d been giving them blood and tissue samples for a while now. But he’d tried not to think about those muttering he’d heard. He wasn’t looking forward to being like Thor and outliving his friends. Again. 

He looked over to Thor. This man was his friend and he was feeling a bit lost. If Steve sometimes got a twinge in his belly when he looked at the larger man, well, he could ignore that in favor of helping his friend. 

“Hey, why don’t we break out of here today? Huh? We could explore.” He pushed his hands into his pockets so he wouldn’t reach out and wipe the stray strand of hair from Thor’s cheek. Maybe being alone with him was a bad idea. There had always been that Jane buffer, but with it gone, those feelings he’s been shoving down are multiplying. Quickly. 

“Yes. I think that sounds just right my friend. Let me change my attire. I’ll meet you in the lobby.” Thor grabbed his hammer and walked off, leaving Steve standing there wondering if he just made a big mistake. He shakes his head and goes to his room to grab his wallet and his phone. Even if it was a mistake, there’s no changing it now. 

He changes his shirt too, after finding a small coffee stain on his blue tshirt. He throws on one of the merchandise shirts that Tony had designed. He liked showing off his respect for his team in subtle ways. So wearing Hawkeye merch was always a fun time. Especially since it made Clint smile so big. Steve got a big smile himself when he met Thor, who it seems, had had the same idea. His tshirt was emblazoned with the large red hourglass that marked Nat’s merch. They grinned at each other before slipping out the lobby doors. 

They just started walking and the silence was not awkward at all. It was interesting how being with Thor didn’t make him feel quite so out of place, even in Manhattan. They’d been walking aimlessly for about an hour when Steve’s stomach started to rumble. It drew a laugh out of Thor and they ducked out of the foot traffic to see if they could find a place to eat nearby. Steve had gotten used to the cell phone a lot faster than any of the team had expected, but he was used to being doubted. Using google they found a place called Serendipity 3 that sounded good, and they weren’t actually far away. 

There was a line, but Steve didn't mind waiting. Not even when they got noticed and ended up spending 20 minutes signing autographs and taking selfies. He’d not liked it much when he first got defrosted but after a long talk with Pepper, he understood the need for a good public image. It was getting a bit ridiculous though when a fan asked Thor to lift Steve, and he found himself acting the part of a weight bar, long enough for a bunch of people to get pics. At least he was able to laugh it off. It didn’t take long though for a worker to come out and invite the two of them to skip the line. Steve declined, he really didn’t like being given things. The whole idea of him being a celebrity was still hard to fathom, so he and Thor stood there, chatting until it was their turn to be seated. 

Once they were in, Steve looked around. The place was quaint, and he liked it a lot. After looking through the menu, they both ordered. Thor seemed particularly excited to try as many of the frozen hot chocolates as he could. The man had a notorious sweet tooth. Steve was looking for actual food, so he ordered a chicken pot pie. He’d often found food in the future too odd, so he tended to stick to things that sounded recognizable. Both Tony and Clint had gotten him to try some outlandish things, and even though he almost never liked them, he did enjoy the camaraderie it generated. 

“While we are away from the others, Steven, I wanted to thank you.” Steve looked up from his plate and quirked his head. 

“Thank me?” 

“Aye, for standing up for Loki. I know that the others still have anger for him. And I do understand. But he is my brother. And for you to stand witness and offer him a place here. Even though he is behind bars, it is more than he would have gotten at home.” 

“Well, once we knew that he was under thrall, just like those he took, it just made sense. How can we excuse Clint for what he did, if we cannot do the same for Loki. It was the right thing to do. And I believe in the latest report from Fury that he has proven to be helpful.” 

“Yes, I believe Fury is at least a little pleased with what Loki has told him.” Thor took a large spoonful of the chocolate concoction in front of him, leaving a dark smudge on his beard. 

“Well, If Thanos is really going to head our way, we need to be prepared.” 

“Aye. I wish that the Allfather would have listened, but his heart has been hardened. It is of course the fault of Loki, but still.” 

“I understand big guy. We all want our family to be whole.” 

“Aye. That is it exactly. It always pleases me that you understand what I try to say. I understand that I am foreign to so many here, but we can always communicate.” 

That hit Steve square in the heart. That was it, really, when it came down to it. He may have always been aware of his attraction to men, even if he'd ever acted on it. But the fact that they could communicate with each other in a world where they both didn’t feel like they belonged. It was a big part of why he felt so drawn to Thor. Aside from the smile and the hair and the muscles. All he had to do now, was decide if he could or would say something. What he’d heard of Asgard so far did not give him the idea that it’s people were all that progressive. 

“Here, try this.” While Steve had been in his head, Thor had all but demolished his desert. All except for the bite he was holding out for Steve. It was a romantic gesture, surely Thor saw that? Steve was helpless against the smile though, so he leant forward and took the offered bite. The rich chocolate hit his palate and even though he didn’t have a big weakness for sweets, it was very good. He almost moaned out loud. “Delicious is it not? I do not know how Asgard has stood so long without the wonder that is chocolate.” 

“You guys don’t have chocolate?” Steve hadn't known that. 

“We do not. Nor do we have coffee. It is a sad existence for sure.” He winked at Steve, who couldn’t hold back the laugh. 

“Have you talked to Bruce about bringing back samples for your scientists? Or farmers? I imagine it could be grown there.”

“Aye, it could. I am selfish however, and do not wish to share the delight with my people. Does that make me a bad prince?” 

“I’m not sure. I imagine there could be a valid reason for not introducing an alien crop to your world. If you think of it like that, then surely you are doing the right thing. The princely thing.” Steve wanted to hide away from the intense way that Thor was looking at him after his little speech. He didn't think he’d said anything that warranted that kind of scrutiny. Luckily they were interrupted by the manager. 

“I want to thank you for your patronage, and to let you know your money is no good here. We would not still be here were it not for you two and your team. So, thank you for saving Manhattan. You are always welcome here.” Both Steve and Thor stood, towering over the thin, short man. 

“Thank you friend.” Thor, grasped his arm, and the guy's eyes went huge. 

“Would you like a picture?” Steve asked. The guy shook his head. 

“There are enough pics already up, all over social media. You two should be allowed to dine without being bothered. If you call ahead next time, we can work something out.” The guy, Martin, shook both their hands again before walking them outside. There was a line again, and Steve prepared to sign more autographs, but Martin stopped it. 

“We do not accost patrons at our establishment.” He told the line of people, who all cowed back. Thor took Steve’s wrist and walked away quickly, a small smile gracing his face. 

They were a few blocks away when Thor finally dropped his wrist. Steve’s phone had been buzzing in his pocket and he pulled it out to find the team group chat blowing up with screenshots of twitter and instagram. Tony had interesting things to say about Thor lifting him and Nat had sent a line of hearts for Thor wearing her shirt. He sent back a few of the smiling faces and then shut it off, slipping it back into his pocket. 

“Where to next, Steven?” Thor asked and Steve pulled up the mental map in his head and then grinned. 

“When I was young, I was way too poor to visit the zoo in Central Park. Would you like that? Do you have zoos on Asgard?” 

“What is a zoo?” Thor asked. 

“Oh, it’s a park where they keep animals. Ones that aren’t native to the area.” 

“Ah, a menagerie. My mother had a small one in her private garden.” Steve directed them towards Central Park. They weren't that far away, and walking through the park with Thor could only be lovely. It wasn’t long before Thor ended the quiet, with a thoughtful voice. “Before, what you said about me being a prince? I think you would make a great advisor. The way your brain works is a great thing, and you would help me to be a great diplomat I believe.” 

Steve did not know what to say to that, so he didn’t say anything at all, hoping that it would not upset Thor. 

It did not take them that long, and they were left alone by the other park goers right up until they stopped at the line for the zoo. Just like at the restaurant, they were offered to skip the line, but they refused, making time to chat with the kids who were all big eyes and questions. Steve loved kids, he loved how bright they were and how they thought. He was a little surprised at how well Thor handled them. He knelt down to speak at their level and was always serious with a hint of cheekiness. He made a mental note to make sure that Thor was in the group that did the next hospital visit. 

At the gate Thor paid, waving away Steve’s offer to. Like Steve he had a black card that Tony had set up for them. Steve knew he had a lot of money, which was why he’d offered to pay, but Thor wouldn’t let him. Once inside they walked slowly, enjoying learning about the animals, many of which Thor had never even imagined, since they were so different than what was on Asgard and the other planets he’d visited. 

“I do not like these...monkeys. They are disgusting and loud.” He walked away from them quickly, his long strides making Steve catch up. 

“There are some scientists who believed that humans evolved from monkeys.” He half figured Thor would be outraged at that and he wasn’t disappointed. 

“Tell me you do not believe this? Shall I have a discussion with these scientists?”

“I don’t know what I believe. Well, I don’t believe I’m smart enough to try and figure the origin of our species. It’s just one of those things that were in my ‘welcome to a new century pack’.” 

“Steven, do not put yourself down. You are quite smart. Not everyone can be a genius like our Anthony or Bruce, but you are brilliant in other ways. In your art and your tactics, your love and faith in humanity. These are not things to be discounted.” Thor had stopped and gathered both of Steve’s hands on his. They were half hidden on the path between exhibits and Steve could not handle the flip in his heart at how Thor apparently thought of him, or the way he was looking down at Steve. His face was open and honest and there was more than a touch of fondness in his eyes. 

Steve closed his eyes. If he was ever going to be brave enough to take a chance, now was it. When he opened his eyes Thor was still there, still looking at him all soft. So Steve gathered his courage and leaned up, that was a new one for him, to press his lips to Thor’s. It was a quick, soft kiss and when he pulled back he was so afraid to open his eyes. He might have just ruined his best friendship. 

“Steven, open your eyes. “Come on elskan, open your eyes.” Steve opened his eyes and the smile on Thor’s face was so big, Steve’s knees almost buckled in relief. “Ah, so you have realized the other reason that the Lady Jane and I could not work, I see.” 

“Uh. well. No? I had no idea that you might have feelings for me, I just, I had to try right?” 

“I am glad that you tried, elskan.” And with that Thor, dipped down to kiss him. Only this was nothing like the kiss Steve had offered. No, this was consuming. When Thor pulled away Steve tried to follow him, for another kiss. “Ah, let us perhaps head back home. I fear that someone may have just captured our image. I heard the giggles of a youth just now.” 

“Oh. Okay. Yeah, we should probably talk. Right?” Steve got out, amidst his growing worry that he might have just caused a bit of trouble for the team and their damn public image. 

“We shall indeed talk. And then I can kiss you again.” Thor winked at him and Steve could feel the blush. He couldn’t stop it, even after the serum, his irish skin was easy to pink. 

“I can call a car, get us home quicker.” He was grabbing his phone as Thor pulled a silver chain from around his neck. Steve hadn’t even noticed it, where it had laid under his shirt. 

“No need.” Thor held the necklace to his mouth and whispered a few words under his breath and the necklace quickly became Mjolnir, making Steve’s jaw drop. 

“Wow.” He had no idea it could do that. Then again, magic. 

“Ah, yes, Loki has been teaching me a few tricks.” Thor, wrapped an arm around Steve’s waist and dropped a kiss on his cheek. “Hold tight.” He said, before swinging the hammer in circles, drawing them up into the sky. Steve could hear the gasps of the people below and he hid his head in Thor’s shoulder as they flew across the city.

They landed softly on the tower, right where Thor had dropped earlier in the day. Steve was trembling a bit when he stepped away and Thor settled him with a big hand on his hip. He’d done it twice before, and it never got easier to fly with him. 

“Come, let us retire inside. We shall talk.” They moved through the open doors, only to get stopped immediately by the rest of their team. There were balloons and cake. 

“HAPPY COMING OUT!” Tony yelled. Steve stopped short. 

“How on earth did you get this set up so quickly?” 

“Well, we had it all ready, since you know, you two have been making eyes at each other for weeks now.” Nat said, passing him a champagne flute. He wants to cry or maybe laugh. He’d thought maybe about telling them, but he hadn’t known they’d guessed already. So really, what could he say except thank you?

“Well, thanks. I guess. Still, I mean all we did was get lunch and visit the zoo.” 

“Oh, nay. Nay, I say That is not all you did.” Tony waved a hand and there on a holoscreen was an image of them kissing, and well, Thor had been right. Someone had clearly caught them and wasted no time putting it online. Steve was, well, happy but also pretty angry.

It was clear that Tony and Nat and Clint were also angry, because right under the picture of the tweet, was each of their respective PR approved accounts. 

@iamironman  
RUDE. outing someone, especially a public figure should come with some sort of jail time. 

@BlackWidowBaby  
You know I can find you. Right? Sleep with one eye open. 

@BlackWidowBaby  
Do not mess with my family

@ihavepizzadog  
If Coulson was still around, he would have had your name, your address, your family pet, everything. Is there no respect for Cap anymore? I hope you enjoy the rest of your freedom.

Steve stared at his friends, and felt Thor’s arm come around him. It was grounding, having him right there. It had always been a secret, always something to hide. So part of him wants to still hide, to keep this amazing new thing to himself, but it’s too late for that. And if his friends have his back, well, what else does he need? 

“Thor, is this going to get you in trouble? Does Asgard have problems with its Prince kissing a man?” 

“No. Should it? Is this a problem here?” 

“Oh boy, I am not unpacking that right now big guy.” Clint handed them each a plate of rainbow cake. “We can give you the rundown on homophobia later, for now, just know, we got your back.” 

“Thank you friend Clint.” He took a bite of the cake and then quickly devoured it. Steve couldn't eat, his stomach was in knots trying to figure out what to do. He’d barely had time to accept that Thor wanted to kiss him, and now this. 

He took a deep breath, and put his plate on the table before grabbing his phone and turning it on. He opened Twitter and before he could talk himself out of it. He started to type. 

@CaptainRogers1918  
When I grew up, it was illegal to like men. Being the way that I am, would have landed me in jail, or worse, dead. So to be living in a time where I can not only be with a man, but I can marry a man, it is incredible. 1/

@CaptainRogers1918  
But with the progress came lack of privacy. I am, at heart, a private person. So for a stranger to take a picture of me, without my consent, and post it online for whatever reason, it hurts. This person, I am not naming names here, may have seen pics from earlier in the day. 2/?

@CaptainRogers1918  
And assumed that because I allowed those pics, then this would be okay as well. It is not okay. I gave consent for those pics. I offered them. This, outing me? There was no consent there. And I am beyond disappointed in this person. 3/?

“Ohhhh. The disappointed face.” Tony cackled with glee. Steve could see him spreading every tweet he wrote, as he wrote them. 

@CaptianRogers1918  
I am often portrayed as a straightlaced, old fashioned guy. And yes, I am from the forties. That does not mean that I don’t deserve affection with the person I choose. Or privacy. 4/?

@CaptainRogers1918  
And because people apparently care a whole lot more than they should. Those pics? That was a first kiss. So not only was I outed against my will, a moment that I should have had time to enjoy, was stolen from me. 5/?

@CaptainRogers1918  
So, random stranger, I hope that you are happy with yourself. I hope that you sleep well, knowing that you took something from me, to gain nothing. 

“The fuck? Really? I was so sure you guys had been on the down low for awhile at least.” Clint was glaring at his phone and Steve couldn't keep up with the tweets his friends were sending out. So he dropped his phone and let Thor pull him close. 

“Steven. All is well. This person does not deserve your anger. Come, eat this lovely cake. It tastes like rainbow.” Thor pushed the plate over and the champagne flute as well. And Steve, he knew Thor was right. They deserved to celebrate being brave. Steve nibbled at the cake, and watched his friends defend him on twitter. It was such a strange occurrence, he had to laugh. 

He had just finished the cake when Bruce came in. Bruce, of all of them, was calm. And he also was the only one excused from a public persona, so when he came in, his phone in his hand, his skin tinged green, well Steve knew he’d be okay. 

“Steve, you want me to find them? I can torture them in ways that no one will ever solve.” 

“No, Bruce No. I was angry, but I’m good now. I am not going to let this person get in the way of me being happy. Of finally being open about myself. I literally could never have envisioned a time in my life where it wouldn't have ended with me in jail. So this, I can handle this.”

“Okay. If you're sure.” The green was receding back, and Steve let out a breath. 

“I’m good. Just knowing you guys don’t care? It’s enough.” Steve told him, accepting the hand on his shoulder. Bruce wasn’t a hugger, but he was good for a shoulder pat. 

Later, when the impromptu party was over and Tony had all but broken Twitter with his anger, Steve and Thor ended up on his couch. They cuddled and shared sweet kisses, while they talked about what this change meant for them. And as Steve was falling asleep, with his head on Thor’s shoulder, he heard a ping. Thor held up his phone, and they both laughed. 

@HULKisangry  
I protect what's mine and Captain Rogers is my family. You might want to think about that before you came for him. You won’t like me when I'm angry.


	2. A salad and an interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve continues to dislike being considered a celebrity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I didn't mean to do this. But it just kinda happened.

A few days after the twitter debacle Steve and Thor were sitting huddled together on the deck enjoying the morning when Pepper approached.

“Lady Potts, are you enjoying this morning?” Thor stood, and Steve followed, taking the hand she offered for a shake.

“Morning Miss Potts.”

“How many times must I remind you it’s Pepper?” She asked.

“At least a few more times Miss Potts.” Steve replied. It was a familiar dance between the two of them. She knew that he could call her Pepper, and he knew that she thought his manners were sweet.

“How can we help you?"

“It is more like, how can I help you? I am aware that the team and Jarvis have been shielding you from the clamor that your zoo trip and subsequent outing has caused, but I feel like you've had enough time to settle so we should talk next steps.” Steve could feel his shoulders tensing as she talked, and Thor’s hand settled around his.

“This is a public image thing isn’t it?”

“It is. Currently the public is split about 60/40 in favor of you, but it could be better and the more the public is on your side, the better it is for you and the Avengers.”

“What shall you have us do?” Thor asked. Steve was glad they were together because he was sure it would be harder to come at this alone, the tension that hadn’t left yet already had him wanting to just walk away, but he knew that wasn’t feasible.

“Well, I have options. I straight up told Fox news to bugger off, same with CNN and BBC. You’ve had a few invitations from talk shows, and if you go that route, I’d suggest one of the late night ones. Both Corden and Colbert offered, and either of them would be good to work with. You could do the Reddit AMA, which would give you guys complete control of what you answer, I actually think you should do that one,” she ran her finger down her tablet, going through whatever list she had, “and I know Steve, you still prefer print, so an interview with a magazine like OUT would be good.”

“Can we have some time to think it over?” He asked her and she nodded.

“Of course. All the time you need, just let me know what you decide and we can get it set up.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek and then turned to Thor to repeat the gesture. “You two are so cute together, I’m glad you found each other.”

He waited until they were alone again to lean against Thor’s bulk, and sighed when his arms came around him, setting him deeper in the god’s hug.

“What are you thinking about elskan?”

“Am I ungrateful for not wanting to do any of those things that she brought up? I hate the idea of having to talk to the press about our relationship. Our relationship that is only a few days old, at that.”

“Nay. It is in your nature to be private. Though our position as Avengers often means that we are in the spotlight, this is different. You are allowed to not be happy and if you want, I shall tell Lady Pepper that we shall do none of the asked.” Thor turned him around and Steve didn’t even try to hide how it affected him that Thor was able to manhandle him like that. “As to the briefness of our relationship, I do not worry about that. Our affection is young, yes, but strong.”

“You’re right Thor, you are. I can definitely see us being together for a long time.” He hadn’t borought up his potentially long life span to Thor yet, he really wanted to chat with Bruce before he did, but when he thought about the future, he sawa Thor. “And I guess, the whole public image thing is something that I have to do, but I definitely want to do it in my own way. What did you think about what she said?”

“I think that the OUT magazine might be a good idea, the Widow has shown me a few of the issues and they seem to have a noble agenda. I do not know much about the other things she mentioned, but my dear, you seem to handle the Twitter well, we could always use that more.”

“Okay.” He took a deep breath and leaned up to kiss Thor softly, “Okay. I’ll talk to Pepper.”

Later that evening, Steve was in his kitchen trying to figure out what to do with the food in his fridge, when Jarvis chimed that he had a visitor. The door opened and Sam came in.

“Hey man, whatcha up to?”

“Trying to come up with a way to use these veggies before they go bad. How are you?” He got a quick hug from Sam, before he decided to just make a salad.

“I hear you’re about to sit down with OUT Magazine and I just wanted to see how you were dealing. It’s been a big week for you.” He stole a carrot from Steve and sat at the counter on the stools that Clint had told him were essential.

“I’m not exactly happy about this, I don’t get why my personal life is important to anyone except my partner. But,” he ran a hand over the back of his neck, “but, enough people I trust have told me that I should do this, so I am.”

“Steve man, you don’t have to do this if you really don’t want to. We all might think it’s a good idea, for a few different reasons, but your mental health is more important.”

“I’ve already committed. I’m going to do it, then I think we’re gonna do a twitter Q&A and then I’m done talking about my private life.” He dumped all the freshly chopped vegetables into a bowl and grabbed the stuff to make a dressing, all while feeling Sam’s eyes on him. “Why do you think I should do this? I’ve already heard from Pepper and Tony.”

“Why do I think you should? Because I can bet there are a few people out there, kids who are scared to admit that they’re gay, who could use the support. Who could stand to see someone they look up to admit that they are gay, or bi, you know you never said what you identify as, someone strong and someone who has a good life despite what some people would want for a person who is part of the LGBT community.”

Steve had to sit down. “Oh, I never...that didn’t occur to me. That it might help people. It’s always just been a secret I had to keep.” He reached over to drop a hand on Sam’s shoulder. “Thanks. I needed to hear that, get my head out of my ass.”

“That is my job as your best friend, you know. Now, gonna share that salad? Where is your larger, better half any way?”

“Oh, Thor is visiting his brother. He tries to a few times a week.”

“Ahh, that man is crazier than a bag of cats.”

“Yeah, but he’s Thor’s brother, ya know? He can't give up on him. I understand that. I mean, I didn’t give up on Bucky, and now he’s getting the help he needs over in Wakanda.” Steve portioned out the salad, and sat again next to Sam.

“Speaking of, how is he?” Sam had been invaluable in the search for Bucky, and if he knew his best friend at all, he knew that Bucky would totally fall for Sam if he gave himself the chance. Maybe once the trigger words were nullified.

“I talked to Shuri yesterday, they’ll be taking him out of cryo soon for the third time. She thinks they have the answer for the final set of triggers. None of us expected there to be so many different sets.” It had been a blow for sure, but he wasn’t giving up.

“Good, that's good.” They ate their salads in silence for a while before Sam got a call and he had to head out early to help one of his vets. Steve cleaned up the kitchen and went to sketch for a bit. He knew Thor would be late that evening and he wasn’t always up for a visit after seeing Loki, so he’d just hang out until he knew what Thor needed for that night.

**Excerpt from OUT Magazine interview with Steve Rogers and Thor Odinson: Interviewed by Adam Nathanson**

AN: Thank you so much for agreeing to talk to me. I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say how upset I was when you were outed and how impressed I was with the way the Avengers stood by your side. Tony Stark actually threatened to sue Twitter over it.

SR: I uh, I didn’t want to do this. Like I said on Twitter, I am a very private person and I really don’t understand the obsession with celebrities that this century has. Not to mention that I don’t think I’m a celebrity at all. I’m a soldier. But a few close friends explained that this might help some kids, so here I am.

AN: I will try to be as painless as possible.

TO: We do not place the blame on you, friend. We are here to answer your questions.

SR: Within reason.

AN: Of course. I think what people want to know the most, is how you two became a couple. As far as the public knew, Captain Rogers, you have never been seen with a date, and Mr. Odinson was seen to be in a relationship with a woman.

TO: Ah. Jane. We had a amicable split. Is that the right word?

SR: Friendly. Sure. We actually chatted with her the other day, from where she is working now. She’s quite a remarkable woman.

AN: That Is good to hear. Not many people manage to stay friendly with their exes.

SR: As to us, I guess once I heard that he was single, I figured I had to at least take a shot. I’d been trying to convince myself I wasn't looking at him that way, for a while. Mostly because of Jane, but also because we’re teammates and messing with the dynamic is always a worry. So when we were at the zoo and found ourselves pretty close to each other, I just went for it.

TO: I will forever be grateful to the zoo, for it is where you were brave.

AN: You don’t have to answer this, either of you, but our readers did want to ask how you identify.

SR: Gay. For as long as I can remember I’ve always been attracted to men. It was just, you know, illegal. So it wasn’t talked about. Before I woke up in this time, only three people knew.

TO: What do you mean identify? I am me.

AN: Oh, like Captain Rogers, I am gay. I only date men.

TO: In Asgard we do not discriminate by gender.

SR: You’d be pan then. Here at least. On Asgard, probably just a flirt.

TO: Yes. My flirting is quite legendary, elskan.

AN: Can I ask Captain who your three people were? Your famous relationship with Margret Carter, has been proven to be a friendship, was it the same with Sergeant Barnes?

SR: Man. First, thank you for not presuming to call Peggy anything other than her formal name. It drives me mad that people seem to think that they know her well enough to use her nickname. Also, thank you for using the proper title for Bucky. WIth the whole Winter Soldier mess, it’s really important to me that he gets treated fairly.

_*here the Captain rubbed a huge hand across his neck before taking a deep breath and continuing_

Yes, the only three people who know were Buck, Peggy and then Arnie. He was our neighbor and for about two months we managed to sneak around together before he got caught in a raid. I never saw him again.

_*here Thor takes his hand, while the Captain rubs away a few tears with the other_

Buck and I were not ever together. I’ve read that some people think so, but he’s my brother, so ewww. Plus, he was well known as a guy who had a good time with the dames, shit, women.

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